eFootball Was Not Finished When It Released, According To Konami

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Konami recently acknowledged the sub-par state of eFootball 2022, admitting that the game was not ready to be released. The company's FIFA competitor changed its name from Pro Evolution Soccer in 2019, though the franchise has been struggling to gain traction among fans and critics, with Screen Rant calling eFootball 2022 calamitous, citing a number of unreconcilable technical issues and design flaws as reasons for the game's failure.

Needless to say, things have not been going the way Konami might have hoped when it comes to eFootball. By most accounts, the game's latest entry was marred by glitches and poor performance, alongside a problematic and restrictive free-to-play model that restricted gameplay and pushed predatory microtransactions upon its player base. The state of the game at launch was rather starved as well, with very few gameplay options available and nothing that could compete with EA's popular FIFA franchise. Konami has been attempting to bolster and polish the live-service title since its release, though numerous delays of vital eFootball updates have made hopeful fans less than optimistic.

Related: PES Replacement eFootball Is Already Steam's Worst-Rated Game Ever

In an interview with Video Games Chronicle (via Eurogamer), a spokesperson for Konami conceded that the game was launched in an incomplete state, noting multiple factors that influenced this. The spokesperson cited issues with the transition to a new game engine, cross-generational console development, and the shift to free-to-play as reasons for the game's less-than-optimal quality. Additionally, this spokesperson stated that the developers have "prioritised improvements and corrections" following critical player feedback, and that